English Premiership clubs will reportedly benefit from a 10 percent rise in the salary cap in an attempt to halt the exodus of players to France.
rugby365
The Independent on Sunday reports clubs will have an additional £500,000 at their disposal next season on top of the £5.2 million salary cap thanks to a broadcasting deal with BT Sport and other sponsorship deals.
This follows news earlier in the week that French clubs will be strengthened even further by a new five-year, €355 million (£294 million) deal with television broadcaster Canal+.
Harlequins boss Conor O’Shea believes the lure of the World Cup will help keep players in the country for the next two seasons but warned a player exodus may follow the global showpiece.
“Where the challenge for us [in England] will be is post-World Cup 2015 when players come out of contract,” O’Shea told the Independent on Sunday.
“There will be England players for whom the chequebook will come out, and it’ll be so much money that they will go. It is becoming harder and harder, and the market value of players is naturally going up.
“England’s policy of only picking players overseas in exceptional circumstances is a help – the people who want to play for their country will stay – but I’ve no doubt there will be those who go for the lifestyle change.
”The England team being pulled together for the 2019 World Cup is pretty special, and someone like Danny Care who will be 32, 33 then, so why wouldn’t he stay here for that?
“But others will weigh up their options, think the 2019 opportunity has gone for them and they will go. It’s a massive deal and there’ll be big money for some people who will grab the headlines.
“How English clubs safeguard and manage players will be a big key. Our salary cap has to evolve to help you to retain players you produce yourself. There are already academy credits but there need to be even more incentives for clubs to do that. The retention of young players as opposed to the recruitment of a huge number of players is the profile this club will have. I don’t think you can do both.”